Ryan Crowley: Already eyeing off a clash against his former club. Photo: Getty Images

"Ross [Lyon] sent me a text last night just to say good luck, and I told him I would see him in round 11," Crowley said on Wednesday.

That will be the Saturday night the Fremantle Dockers host the Bombers at Domain Stadium, where Crowley hopes to subdue the league's best player, Brownlow medallist Nathan Fyfe.

"We played on each a lot at training. I know a lot of his tricks and he knows a lot of mine, trying to help him break the tag and telling all the things I didn't like. Maybe that wasn't the smartest move, but he doesn't need too much help," Crowley said.

Crowley, 31, was forced to sit out the 2015 campaign after testing positive to a banned painkiller taken in 2014 but said he would return to the field in a rejuvenated mood, having accepted an offer to be one of the Bombers' 10 top-up replacement players.

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James Kelly, the triple-premiership Geelong star, will also join the Bombers, and will help fill the void left by the suspensions to Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell and Heath Hocking. Kelly visited the Bombers' facilities on Wednesday.

He had retired after playing the last of 273 matches last season, as the Cats opted to not offer him a new contract as they sought to rebuild.

Crowley has accepted a one-year contract but could extend his career further if he has a strong season.

"My body is feeling great and my mind is right. I am as eager as I have ever been," Crowley said.

"I don't see it as just a 12-month thing. We'll play it by ear but I feel really good and I'm as eager as ever to give this a really good crack. I'm 31 now, but I do sort of feel 27, 28."

That Crowley was suspended for an anti-doping offence was potentially regarded as a bad fit for the Bombers, who are rebuilding their image in wake of the supplements scandal.

However, Crowley said he had "served my time" and his suspension should not be an issue for his new club.

"I've been sledged about lots of things, that's for sure. I think that's the least of my worries. I think I've been booed at every away game for the last five years, so I'm sure that'll probably stick," Crowley said.

"I was craving this chance and now I have got it I am not going to let it slip. I've got a lot of experience, played in big games, finals and grand finals, and a body ready to play AFL football."

Crowley understands the pain the dozen suspended Essendon players are going through, as he, too, had to adjust to life on the sidelines. He said he was prepared to offer any advice.

"They have got to really lean on each other. For me it was quite a lonely place because it was only me going through it," Crowley said.

"I am not going to hide it. I went through some dark times. It was really, really tough, but they will be able to lean on each other, work together and they will come back."

The Bombers have until March 15 to finalise their top-up talent.

As the Bombers continue their search, the AFL said on Wednesday it would review Port Adelaide's submission, calling for the club to also be allowed to secure experienced players to replace suspended pair, Paddy Ryder and Angus Monfries.

As it stands, the Power can only elevate two rookies, frustrating Power coach Ken Hinkley who wants to find a former AFL player to add depth to the ruck stocks now Ryder is out.

Melbourne, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs, who also have former Essendon players suspended as a result of the doping program, have not requested a change.